


What Happens Next

by crescent_gaia



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-06-04
Updated: 2012-03-23
Packaged: 2017-10-20 03:11:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/208145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescent_gaia/pseuds/crescent_gaia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A different ending to the movie and what happens next as Erik decides to make Charles work with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own _X-Men_ or any of the characters. This is for fun and not profit. Of course, there are spoilers for the movie and I hope you enjoy the story.

Erik looked up at Moira as he saw the gun out of the corner of his eye. He was used to guns being pointed at him and how to deflect the bullets. He didn't flinch as the bullets came at him and he deflected them - one of them right into Charles. He rushed to Charles' side and removed the bullet from Charles' back. He held his friend in his arms and glared up at Moira. He used the chains on her neck to start to strangle her. He only had the thought of making her pay for what she did. If she hadn't used the gun, then Charles wouldn't be hurt. He heard Charles say something and looked down to Charles while continuing to hold the chains against Moira to choke her. "What?"

"It's not - it's not her - " Charles tried to say as he fell into unconsciousness. He tried to reach for his mental abilities to tell Erik that it wasn’t Moira’s fault but he could also feel himself failing.

Erik narrowed his eyes as he could easily figure out what Charles was trying to say. Of course that he would come down on the side of the humans and he needed to change that with Charles. He knew from all the chess that he and Charles played that he had the upper hand. Charles was in check make and going to lose his queen in just a moment. As he was distracted and with Moira on her knees, he could see that she reached for her gun again. Moira fired off one more shot, hitting Charles in the arm as she couldn't think clearly enough to aim at Erik. He quickly turned the gun away from himself and Charles and didn't even flinch at Moira shooting himself. He nodded to Raven and watched her run over to her brother. "We need to leave," he said to her. "And take all of them with us. Even Charles."

"You know he's not going to want that," Raven said quietly to Erik as she felt for Charles' pulse. She tore some of her uniform to form a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. "He needs a doctor. We need to go home." She paused and looked up at Erik. “I’ll go with you. Wherever you want and even if it means bringing him with us. But you have to know that, when he wakes up, he’s going to fight us.”

"We’ll figure out what to tell him when he wakes up," Erik says quietly. He didn’t want to continue to think about fighting against his first friend and the one that helped him truly unlock his powers. "I guess the fact that she shot him one more time helps." He looked to the other mutants that were there and looked to Azazel. "Hold him," he said as he gently shifted Charles to Raven. He stood up and looked at the others. "The ones out there," he started to say, "are only going to continue to come at us until we are all dead. Charles wants peace and that peace cannot come. We need to stand together against the ones that are out there. The ones that cling to the hope that they can contain us. That they can just wipe us off the face of the Earth. I say that we must stand together - if not for Charles' sake, then for our own."

Hank, Sean, and Alex all looked at each other. They knew the way that Raven and Angel would go. "We need to go with them, at least to make sure that the Professor is alright," Hank said quietly to the two others. “Otherwise they’re going to just take him and leave us here.”

Sean nodded a yes. "I don't like it though. But I do agree with Hank."

"But if it is for the time being then it needs to be done," Alex said as he nodded a yes. "Tell him Hank."

"We'll come with," Hank said as he moved towards Erik. He turned and kneeled down next to Raven to see about the Professor. "But we need to leave and soon. The damage the bullet did needs to be assessed and he needs to see a doctor. I only know so much."

"Azazel will help with that," Erik said as the three remaining members of the Hellfire Club came over to where Erik was. He looked at Sean and Alex who came over with Angel. “I am glad that all of you are coming.”

“It’s not because of you,” Alex said. “We’re coming because of the Professor.”

“That’s a good reason as well,” Erik said as he looked down at Hank. “Shall we?”

Hank took very gentle hold of Charles and stood up without saying anything. He smiled a bit as Raven took a tight hold of his arm and offered a hand to Erik. Azazel made sure that all of them were holding hands before he shifted them off of the island. When they were back on the mainland, Erik explained to Azazel where to go. It only took a few more minutes for them to be back at the school and put Charles in his room. With the help of Hank and another doctor who Azazel took care of, they were able to get Charles comfortable and stable. “He’ll be fine,” he said quietly to Raven who was waiting and watching everything they did. “You should come get me if he wakes up. I talked to the doctor about what needs to be done next. But we’re not going to know anything until he wakes up and tells us what he feels his body doing.”

“Thank you,” Raven said quietly and kissed Hank’s cheek before he left the room. She curled up in a chair close to Charles' bed and watched her brother sleep. She gently took Charles' hand and didn't look up when she felt Erik's hand on her shoulder. "He's going to be alright, isn't he?" She whispered.

"We won't know until he wakes up," Erik said quietly as he echoed what Hank said. "I'll sit with you," he said as he pulled a chair over. He sat down next to Raven and let the silence fall between them as they waited for Charles to come back to them.


	2. Chapter 2

Charles opened his eyes and looked around at the dark place. He could feel the pain in his back even though he was in his own mind. He could hear the people around him talking but he couldn't make out the words. He could hear Erik and Raven and then mostly Erik talking again. He worried as he couldn't hear Moira's voice, but that was something he could work out later. Right now, he needed to work more on getting a message to the people there that he needed help. He wasn't sure why he couldn't just open his eyes and come back to consciousness. He was able to do it before, but now it just seemed like too much. He took a breath before concentrating to try to reach out to Raven. He could feel it take hold before it broke. He tried again, but it broke easier than before. He shook his head and tried to reach out to Erik. He felt it break as well but tried again. He laughed as he felt it take hold and closed his eyes to use his full concentration to make sure that he was heard.

*~*~*~*

Raven woke up a bit as she was sure that she felt something. She looked to where Erik was sitting but saw that he had gotten up to look out the window. "Erik?" She asked quietly.

Erik turned to her about to say something when he held up his hand. He smiled and moved over to Charles' bed side. "He's talking. At least mentally," he explained. _We're here Charles. You just need to wake up._

 _If I could do that, my friend, I would_ , Charles explained. _I need help. I've never been in this type of situation before. I can't seem to come back to consciousness. I need the help of another telepath. I need Emma Frost._

Erik chuckled. "He wants us to get Emma Frost for him."

"Then let's do it," Raven said as she got up. "If we need her to help Charles, then we're going to go get her."

Erik grinned. "I'll tell him." _We're going to go get her and see if we can't reason with her. Just hang in there._

 _Raven is going?_ Charles asked. He tried to keep the worry out of his voice. He never wanted his sister to be in harm's way but at the same time, he knew he couldn't protect her forever.

 _I'll ask her to stay. She might say no._ Erik looked at Raven. "Would you mind staying with him? Maybe if he can reach out to you, we might not need Emma."

"He's just worried," Raven said but sat back down and took Charles' hand. "Tell him I'm not going and he should try again. I felt him before."

 _She's not going. Try again to reach her,_ Erik mentally said before reaching down and kissing Charles' cheek. He moved and kissed Raven's cheek as well. "Don't forget to get something to eat when you need to. I'll make sure that Hank checks in on you from time to time."

"Thank you," Raven said as she smiled up at Erik. She moved and softly kissed his lips before letting him go. "Bring her back."

"I will," Erik promised before he left the room. He went to find Hank to ask him to check in on Raven and Charles before he went to the living room where the rest were waiting. "He's not awake," he told the room. "But he has asked for us to do something. We need to go get Emma Frost."

"I'm in," Azazel said. "I can get us in easily."

"Good," Erik said. "What about the rest of you?"

"I think two of us should stay behind in case something happens," Alex said. "I can do so with Sean."

"Yep," Sean said with a nod of his head. He knew it would give them the time to talk to Hank about getting out of the position they were in.

"I'll go," Angel said with a nod of her head as Riptide nodded a yes as well.

"Get suited up and we'll go," Erik said as he turned and left the room. It didn't take long for the rest of them to be ready and they used Azazel's power to get to the CIA. Erik focused and used his powers to rip into the room, even though he didn't have to. He smiled as he saw Emma in her diamond form. "Hello."

"What do you want?" Emma asked as she looked at him.

"An alliance," Erik replied. "It doesn't make sense for us to be on opposite sides against the humans, does it?"

"And what about your telepath friend?" Emma asked.

"He's in need of help," Erik said. "He asked for you personally."

"Is that so, Erik?" Emma asked.

"I'm going by Magneto now," Erik said with a smile. "But it's up to you. We could just leave you here."

Emma looked at him and the others that were waiting on her. She changed back into her normal form and came over to him. She took Magneto's hand, made sure that they were all connected to Azazel and were gone before the humans with guns were there to stop them.

a*~*~*~*

Back at the mansion, Alex and Sean found Hank quickly. "We should go," Alex said to Hank. "This is nothing like the Professor would want. We all know what Erik wants to do and how he feels."

"If he could be moved, then I would agree with you," Hank said. "But he can't be moved and we can't fight all of the others on our own. For the moment, we just have to go with what they want."

"Which is why we should just go now," Sean said. "Can't you do anything to make sure that the Professor isn't hurt more when we move him? I thought he was stable now."

"He is, but...Raven's still in there," Hank said. "And we don't know when they'll be back or how easily they'll be able to track us. Plus, he's bringing back a telepath. We won't have the Professor to block her."

"I think that we should try," Alex said quietly.

"When the Professor is awake, we'll talk to him about it. Until then...we have to stay here," Hank said as he got up. "I need to go check on them."

"Right," Sean said and watched Hank leave. "We also have to go with the knowledge that he loves Raven and isn't going to leave easily."

"Yeah," Alex replied with a nod of his head as they watched Hank leave.

Hank walked quickly down the hallway and up to the Professor's room. He knocked on the door before he entered. "How is he?" He asked of her as he entered the room.

"He's reaching out with his mind," Raven said with a smile as she saw Hank. "That's a good thing, right?"

"Yes," Hank said with a smile. "Do you want anything to eat or anything?"

Raven gently let go of Charles' hand before standing up and softly kissing Hank's lips. "Just you. Will you stay a while?"

"Yes," Hank said quietly before kissing Raven back lovingly. "Alex and Sean are thinking about leaving."

"So let them leave," Raven said quietly. "You can always stay with us, right?"

"Right," Hank said quietly as he let Raven pull him over to the couch. It was easier for the both of them to curl up there and keep watch until Erik and the others got back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this taking a few days. The muses like to talk and then go very quiet. *rolls eyes at them* Please enjoy.

Erik relaxed as they appeared back at the mansion. He nodded to Emma Frost and started to lead her towards the stairs. He removed the helmet as he started to walk up the stairs. He paused and turned back to her. "Don't do that," he said in a sharp tone. "The only one I like in my mind is the person you are here to help."

"I have others who have liked it," Emma says. "And I think it has something to do with the helmet. That belonged to the person I loved. A person who said that mutants should not fight with each other. Or have you forgotten that?"

Erik chuckled. "Emma, Emma - he lost the privilege to use that argument when he decided to kill my mother in order to make me use my gift. Now, are you actually going to do your job?"

Emma smiled at Erik. "Of course I am," she replied. "I do want to see inside the mind of your friend. He's strong - strongest telepath I've felt in a long while - especially when he was searching for the others."

"You should know that we will do that again if you go against us," Erik said before turning and starting to walk up the stairs again.

"I do know that," Emma said as she followed him. "Erik, is his view the same as yours? As ours, I should say. Considering you think as the one you hated thought."

"I told you to stay out of my head," Erik said. "And we'll deal with that when he wakes up and is talking for himself." They got to the end of a long hallway and Erik knocked on the door. He opened the door after a moment and smiled at seeing Mystique and Hank curled up against each other. "Any change?" He asked.

Raven stopped Hank from getting up and looked up at Erik. "No," she said quietly. "He's still been feeling out and I've tried talking to him mentally, but there's been nothing."

"Feeling out is better than nothing," Emma said as she came into the room behind Erik. She moved to take a seat, not saying anything to Raven.

"Erik?" Raven asked.

"This is Emma Frost - she's going to help," Erik explained again. "I am going to link minds with her as well as we look for Charles."

"I thought you didn't want me in your mind," Emma said with a smirk but quickly went into Erik's mind. She waited until Erik sat down before touching Charles' hand. She used the touch to go into his mind and looked around at the darkness. _Is this what you expected?_ She asked to Erik.

 _It is better than what I thought might be here_ Erik replied. _Better to have it be nothing than to have it be full of his own demons and other things that would torment him._

 _This way_ Emma said as she moved deeper into Charles' mind and made sure that Erik was following. As they went deeper into Charles' mind, they passed different memories. Erik stopped to watch the most recent memory of Charles being shot by the stupid human. _Please don't_ she said to him. _I need you to be calm. There will be time to talk about that with him and to share your pain. For now, I need you to follow me._

 _Of course_ Erik said quietly as he turned to follow Emma. It didn't help that he looked as they passed different memories. The memory of pushing Banshee off of the rooftop and Charles being worried that it would kill the child. The memory of their meeting before that where they argued before Charles just decided to kiss Erik to make them both stop arguing. He smiled at that, stopping for only a moment before Emma told him to come along again.

 _This is good_ Emma said as the hallway in Charles' mind became brighter. _The light means that his mind is still all there. If we had continued in the dark with only the lights from the memories, I would have been worried. That takes a mind healer, which I am not._

 _Thank you_ Erik said. _And you are, in a way. You're helping me find him, which will help him heal._

 _Hrm_ Emma said, making no further comment as she stopped at a mental wall. _Erik, come here._

Erik came over to stand in front of the mental wall. He chuckled and just touched it, watching it part for him. _Are you coming?_

 _No_ , Emma replied. _This is just for the two of you. I will wait here for an hour and then I shall leave. Your friend will need to bring you out if that happens._

 _Alright_ Erik said and went into the room. He smiled as he saw that the room was styled after the library in the mansion. He moved over to a curled up Charles in his favorite chair near the fireplace and gently touched Charles' shoulder. _Charles_ he said as he felt his mind shift from sharing with Emma to more sharing with Charles. He could still feel her there and knew that he was working against the clock.

Charles slowly opened his eyes and smiled at Erik. _Thank you, my friend._

 _It is what needed to be done, my love_ Erik said with a smile. _Are you ready to go?_

 _I - I do not know_ Charles replied. _I can still feel the pain in my back and something else feels wrong. I just don't know what._

 _It is why you need to come back_ Erik said and kneeled down in front of Charles. _If not for yourself, then for me. What would I do without you, Charles? I need you. We all do. I want you to come back._

 _I know_ Charles replied as he moved and softly kissed Erik's lips.

Erik wrapped his arms around Charles and stood up. He didn't let go of the kiss until he was out of the room. He looked to Emma. _Put him back and take us out._

 _Of course_ Emma said as she motioned for Erik to let go. Erik looked worried before gently letting go of Charles. As he did, Emma pushed him hard and used all the force she had to mentally force Charles back into his own mind. As Emma did, Emma grabbed Erik's hand and quickly took them back to their own bodies. She smiled and let go of Charles' hand before making sure that Erik was back in his body. "We'll talk about payment later," she said as she left the room.

"Right," Erik whispered as he moved over to Charles. "Come on," he whispered as he took Charles' hand. "Come back."

Charles slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Erik's eyes. "I can't feel my legs," he whispered as his face turned into a mix of shock and pain.

"Hank," Erik called as Hank got up and moved over to Charles. All Erik could do was hold Charles' hand and feel helpless as his friend got the help he needed.


	4. Chapter 4

Erik left the room after the doctor returned to check on Charles again. He couldn't be in that room anymore, considering that he could feel what was happening. He didn't want to be the one to tell Charles to stop it, considering everything, so he simply left. He leaned against the wall by the door and closed his eyes. He let himself slide down the wall and just closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't open them as he heard the door open and another person come out. He just needed a moment to himself and it did mean ignoring everyone else. He sighed as he realized the person was looking down at him and opened his eyes. He smiled weakly as he saw Raven there. He reached up his hand to her, watching as she took it and gently pulled her down to him. He wrapped his arms around her and softly kissed her cheek. "It's just a lot," he whispered to her as he just kept her close.

"I know," she whispered as she nuzzled his cheek with her cheek. "I thought - I thought since you removed the bullet, he was going to be okay. That there wasn't going to be anything else wrong with him. I wish that I knew."

"I knew that something was wrong before he lost consciousness," he whispered. "We seem to be always connected, even though I didn't want it to happen in the first place, and I just knew. I hoped, when he woke up, it would just be the pain of the bullet that went through him and how I took it out. I just - there are so many things I could have done better."

"What, you can see the future now too?" She asked and smiled as she heard him chuckle. "There was nothing else that we could do. If it hadn't have been for that _human_ ," she hissed. "Then Charles wouldn't be like this. And we wouldn't have to think about how to talk to him about that woman being gone. I just - let me deal with him when I tell him. You know that he won't read my mind. You can just be away and helping the kids or something. Or just hide and put on the helmet. Or something."

He kissed her cheek again and sighed. "No - I should be with you. I don't even care if he reads my mind and figures out what truly happened. It needs to be out in the open and for all of us to talk about. Otherwise, there's going to be lies. I don't want lies between us. Or anything else."

"Who do you mean by us?" She asked quietly as she looked down at their hands that were close together.

"You, me, Charles," he answered quietly. "Unless you want out, my dear?" He asked as he moved and softly kissed the middle of her neck.

She shivered at feeling the kiss on her neck. "I do want to be with the both of you. If I am allowed to be and just - I want to figure out my feelings for Hank. I just want to figure out what is happening there."

"Of course," he said quietly. "We're not going to stop you. And if it means that there is nothing more, then there is nothing more."

"Live in the moment again?" She asked with a smile.

"Exactly," he said and kissed her shoulder. "How long do you think we're going to have before they come looking for us?"

"A while," she replied. "They want to look at his spine - probably through surgery - and see what can be done. Hank is thinking that there might be a better way."

He looked up at the door opening and smiled at Hank. "Are we needed?" He asked.

"Yes," Hank said quietly. "He wants to name the both of you to have power of attorney over his health in case something happens."

Raven was up in a second and quickly went into the room. "Out," she said to the doctor. Her eyes narrowed as the doctor was watching her with that similar eye of a person who didn't like to see her natural form. She slammed the door shut behind the doctor and moved over to Charles. "You are not allowed to die."

"I'm not saying I would," Charles pointed out to her. "Where's Erik?"

"Outside for a moment," Raven replied and crossed her arms.

"In case something goes wrong," Charles said and sighed. "Is this because you're not named alone?"

Raven blinked. "What? No - I just - " She just looked at him. "Did you read my mind?"

"No - your mannerisms," Charles replied with a smile. "You're pissed off. And I thought I would guess. I've gotten very good about guessing with you."

"Oh," Raven said quietly as she sat down in the chair by his bed. "Charles - "

"Just agree to it," Charles said quietly. "The will is written out that you get everything, Raven. The house and all the money. I did that when our parents died just in case. I just never thought I would have to tell you about it."

Raven leaned back in the chair and nodded a yes. "I should let Erik in now."

"Please," Charles said with a smile as he watched her do so. "Erik," he said.

"I'm not going to argue with you, Charles," Erik replied as he went to the other side of the bed to be near Charles. "Just promise me that we don't have to act upon it. Because, if we do, I'm going to find someone who can raise the dead and bring you back."

Charles smiled and took Erik's hand, kissing it. "Just promise me, if anything happens, that you take care of her."

Erik laughed. "You never had to ask about that."

"I know," Charles said with a grin. "If you sure that you want to."

"I do," Erik replied. "So, what is going to happen?"

"Surgery," Charles said. "They were talking about doing an x-ray, but I think I want them to do the surgery. I want to make sure that the bullet didn't hit anything else - before and after you removed it. They're going to be able to do it here, thanks to Hank, mostly. If you want, both of you can sit in. If not, then do something to keep your mind off of worrying." He chuckled as he saw Erik raise an eyebrow. "I happen to like the dirty part of your mind."

"Well, let me keep a few secrets for when you've recovered from surgery," Erik said with a grin. "And I think we will, unless you need us for anything else."

Raven looked worriedly at her older brother. She stood up and kissed his cheek sisterly. "I love you."

"I love you," Charles said before pulling her into a hug. "Now go be happy."

Raven smiled and they let go of the hug. She let Erik lead her out of the room, her mind continuing to wander back to Charles even though Erik did more than enough to take her mind off of things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't rated for a while because I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. However, I did make a decision. This is going to be Teen and Up. I probably will be writing a "Hidden Scenes" or such type of side fic to this for when I fade to black - like with Erik and Raven. I don't know when I'll be doing the side fic - possibly after this one is done - so I hope it's a good idea.
> 
> Cheers and thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Raven woke up and looked at the other side of the bed. She sighed as she saw that Erik was gone but she wasn't surprised. She took a quick shower and got dressed, more out of habit than anything else. She looked at herself in the mirror, looking back at the human image she portrayed. She tilted her head to one side and sighed at herself. "You need to do better," she told herself before dropping the disguise to her normal form. She was covered and that was better than nothing. She made her way out to the kitchen and got herself some breakfast. As she heard noises coming from another room, she made her away over to the breakfast nook that had a door on it. She knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

"Yes?" Hank asked as he opened the door. He smiled at seeing Raven. "Morning," he said.

"Morning," Raven replied as she looked at the group. She saw Alex and Sean sitting opposite of where Hank was sitting. "Mind if I join you?" She asked.

"Depends," Alex said. "Are you going to repeat everything you hear back to Magneto?"

Raven raised an eyebrow at that. "What makes you think I'm going to?"

"It's a small house," Sean countered. "We want to trust you, but we're talking about a sensitive subject. So it's more for our own protection as well."

"I won't tell," Raven said without a second thought. She knew that she wouldn't. "And besides, I can tell you if Frost is listening in or not. Charles taught me how to feel out for it."

"He's read your mind?" Hank asked as he moved to make room for Raven.

"No," Raven replied as she sat down. She closed the door behind her after doing so. "He taught me how to feel for someone doing it. He always thought that we were never alone in being different."

"Figures," Alex said.

"So, what are you talking about?" Raven asked as she started to eat her cereal.

"About if we want to stay or not," Alex replied.

Raven nearly choked on her cereal but made it go down. "Why would you?" She asked. "No really - why would any of you?'

"Because we all know that this is not what the Professor wants," Sean said. "He wouldn't want to be allied with someone who is so against the human race. You know that. Of anybody here, you should know that more than anyone."

"Yeah - but it's not that," Raven said. "He wants to be normal. He can pass as that. So can the two of you. But can I? Can Hank? This is supposed to be about us being together. And you saw what they did to us on that beach. If Magneto hadn't been there, we would be dead."

They all let the silence hang in the air after what Raven said. They knew that she was right, even if they didn't want to admit it. It was hard to admit that she was right about any of this. Hank was the first to speak. "I know it's not ideal," he said quietly. "But we're not going to be leaving. We're just talking about it. Talking about it and actually doing it are two very different things."

"He's right," Alex said quietly. "But there's another thing. I don't trust the Hellfires."

"I agree," Raven said quietly. "I know we need them, but...I trust them as much as I can throw them. I don't know why they're with us."

"Because they saw that Magneto killed - " Sean started to say

"Wait," Raven interrupted and thought. "Why are we calling Erik Magneto?"

"Because that's what he told us he wanted to be called from now on," Alex said. "He announced it this morning before he went to check on the Professor."

"Oh," Raven said. "I missed that."

"As I was saying before I got interrupted," Sean said, "It's because Magneto killed Shaw. It was a show of strength. And I think they have a code of not fighting against their own kind."

"I think it's only going to be a matter of time until that rule gets broken," Hank said quietly. "And I don't like having to wait to see what they're going to do."

"They might even try while Magneto is so focused on the Professor that we'll have to take care of them," Alex said. "And I don't trust Angel at all right now. She's a Hellfire."

"Agreed," the other three said.

Raven moved and curled up against Hank, her cereal forgotten as she felt his arm wrap around him. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Just wait and see, I guess," Alex said. "I don't think there's much more we can do."

Hank nodded a yes. "There's one more thing though."

"What?" Raven asked.

"Are we going to go by our mutant names or are we going to go by our regular names?" Hank asked.

"In private, our regular names," Sean said. "It's more personal. So, like when it's the four of us, unless you want something different, we use our regular names."

"What are you calling regular though?" Raven asked.

"What about we use our regular names in public and our human names in private?" Alex asked with a grin as he saw where Raven was going.

"I like that," Raven said. "We're going to have to tell them sooner or later."

"Later," Alex said before he pulled Sean into a bit of a hug.

"When did that start?" Raven asked with a smile. She liked seeing the two together.

"Right now," Sean said. "At least, officially. Don't start, okay?"

"Do you see me starting?" Raven asked with a chuckle.

"Do we get to mock you?" Hank asked.

"Only if we get to do the same with you, fur ball," Alex said and then paled. "Hank - "

Hank shrugged. "It's the truth, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

"Told you not to use the vial," Raven said quietly as she looked up at Hank. "I like you this way though. Better natural than not."

Hank smiled at that and kissed Raven's forehead. The four of them just stayed there, being quietly until they had to go out and face the Hellfires.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get posted. I had a bit of a hard time posting it. The German means "you're acting like you were born yesterday".

Charles stared at the chair, not wanting to believe that it was real. He knew it was, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't want it there. He didn't want any of this. He knew that he should be grateful. That at least it was just his spine and not his life. That he was able to get home due to Erik and the rest of them. That he was brought out of his coma by another one with great powers like he had. Yet, he didn't feel all that grateful. He didn't want to thank any of them. He didn't want to see any of them. He just wanted to curl up but he couldn't even do that anymore. He sighed as he reached over to the chair and just pushed it hard into the wall. He sank back into the bed and pulled the blanket over himself. "Go away," he said as he heard the knock on the door.

Erik entered the door with a tray of food. He looked at the bed before seeing where the wheelchair ended up. He sighed as he came in, closed the door behind him, and put it on a table. "So you're not getting up to eat?"

"No," Charles said.

"Charles - " Erik started.

"No," Charles said.

"You're being a child," Erik said.

"You like me being a child sometimes," Charles said. "I don't want anything."

"You need to eat," Erik pointed out. "And I will sit on you and make you eat."

"You would hurt a cripple?" Charles asked.

"You are not a cripple," Erik said. "You are one of the most powerful of us. So, please, get out of bed, eat something, and make it so the rest of us don't have to worry the hell about you!"

Charles pulled down the cover and just looked at him. "What?"

"You heard me," Erik said as he pulled down the blanket more. "You're either eating first or bathing first. The food will keep either way. I think you should eat first, but I will dump you into the bathtub if I have to."

"I say that you're being unfair," Charles said as he crossed his arms and just glared at Erik.

"Fine, bath first," Erik said as he moved and picked Charles up easily.

"Erik!" Charles said as he tried to move. He stopped as he realized that Erik was taking him to the bathroom. "You will not."

"I'm going to sit you down. You are going to undress yourself, even though I would take more pleasure in doing so, as I draw a bath. You are then going to clean yourself or - well, I don't have a punishment for you," Erik said. "Save for making you wear the helmet and seeing what happens."

"Have I ever told you that you are evil?" Charles asked as he was set down on the toilet. He held onto a hand rail as he watched Erik start to fill the bath.

"No," Erik said with a chuckle. "But others have."

"Right," Charles said and sighed. "How did you get handrails in here without me noticing?"

"You've been in a funk ever since you woke up," Erik said. "Raven's the first one to notice it, but it didn't take long for me to notice as well. But we decided to put them in because you're going to need to get around on your own."

"Right," Charles said with a sigh. "What's the point?"

Erik watched the water for a moment before he turned off the water and made sure that the plug was holding. "The kids are worried about you and wanting to know what you want to do. We have three members of what was the Hellfire Club visiting until you decide what to do because you're the one who leads us. I'm wondering what you want to do and if you even want me anymore. I know that I want you."

Charles smiled at that and took Erik's hand. "I want you too," he whispered. "I don't know if I can take it."

"You need to," Erik said. "We need you. We really do. And I'm not just saying that."

Charles sighed. “Then run the bloody bath,” he said as he started to undress. He felt his face and raised an eyebrow. “Erik?”

“What now?” Erik asked as he straightened up and looked over at Charles.

“I don’t have any facial hair. You haven’t been shaving me in my sleep, have you?” Charles asked.

“No,” Erik said and shrugged. “Why worry about it?”

“Because it’s odd,” Charles said.

“One less thing for you to do,” Erik said with a shrug.

“Right,” Charles said quietly and busied himself with undressing. He waited for Erik to help him with the lower part and to be lowered into the bath. He quickly cleaned himself and got out, letting Erik help him with what he needed. “I don’t want the chair,” he said quietly as he saw Erik bring it over with a simple thought.

“And I’d like to have some upper arm strength to get through the rest of my day,” Erik said with a smile. “You’re not light.”

“Fine,” Charles said as it was brought over. He laid a towel over the seat and sat down. He moved his hands to the wheels and slowly wheeled himself out of the bathroom towards the dresser that had everything he needed. He pulled out what he wanted before slamming the doors of it closed. He put the clothes on the bed and then started to slowly get dressed. “Don’t,” he said as he saw Erik out of the corner of his eye move to help him. “I’ve got to get used to doing this on my own.”

“Charles – “ Erik said and sighed as he realized that it was useless to argue. “Du anstellst dich wie der erste Mensch.”

“I was not!” Charles yelled as one of the drawers shot open.

Erik was about to say something when a book came flying across the room and hit him in the stomach. He ducked out of the way as he saw other objects in the room coming at him, diving and rolling under the bed. He waited until he heard all of them hit the wall, seeing them drop to the floor. He came out from under the bed and raised an eyebrow. “So, when were you going to tell us that you could do that?”

“I never could before,” Charles said quietly as he looked around the room. “Erik – “

“Don’t,” Erik said as he came over and sat down on the bed across from Charles. “A wise man once told me that killing will not bring you peace.”

“I don’t want to kill you,” Charles said quietly. He didn’t want to admit that he just wanted to hurt Erik as much as the bullet through his spine hurt him.

“A book can be deadly,” Erik replied. “We need to talk about it.”

“About what?” Charles asked and then leaned back in the chair. “About how the use of your powers put me in this chair or the fact that you killed Moira?” He watched Erik blanch. “That’s a reaction that I didn’t expect. You didn’t want me to find out. It’s been at the top of your mind ever since I woke up. I didn’t even have to go deep to figure out what you wanted to keep from me. You were worried that I was going to ask about her. That I was going to want to see her. But I can’t now, can I?!”

Erik sighed. “No.”

“I want you to be honest with me,” Charles said.

“Save for Moira, I have been,” Erik said. “We are worried about you. We do want you to get better. And I would give anything to put myself in that chair and for you to walk.” He paused and looked down at the floor. “And that I will do a lot to ask for your forgiveness but I will never regret killing her. She didn’t have to fire. She didn’t need the gun in the first place. If she hadn’t fire, the bullet that I deflected wouldn’t have gone into your spine.”

“You can start by leaving me alone for a while,” Charles said quietly. “And I want to speak to Raven.”

“Right,” Erik said quietly as he got up and moved to leave. He blinked at feeling Charles’ hand touch and take his. He looked down at Charles, frozen and not wanting to break the moment that might be his last with the man he loved.

“I just need time,” Charles said quietly. “Because deep down inside, I still love you. I’m also angry at you.”

“I hope the anger passes quickly then,” Erik said quietly and kissed Charles’ hand before quickly leaving the room. He went to his own to give himself a few minutes alone before he put on a stoic face and went to find Raven.


	7. Chapter 7

"Now what are you doing?" Raven asked as she handed Hank the tool that he needed to continue work on what Hank was calling Cerebro 2. She leaned over the edge before moving her body so she could hang and see what he was doing easier. She watched for a moment before reaching up and getting the flashlight. She turned it out and made sure that the light was hitting where Hank was working and not getting in his eyes. She waited patiently for an answer as he continued to work. She raised an eyebrow as she heard him curse and move away from it. "Why won't you let me help?"

"Pride," Hank replied as he looked at her. "You really want to help?"

"Yes," Raven said. "Even though I have a selfish motive for doing so."

"You're not the only one," Hank said. "Getting back to work might help the Professor the most." He sighed and moved so Raven could get where he was. "Go back to where I was. The three wires need to fit through the screw so it can go to the central base. Then it is a lot of work in finding the wires to the satellite dish and making sure they can connect so we can use it."

"I know where those are," Raven said as she went to where Hank wanted her. "Hold up the flashlight for me?" She asked as she looked around for what she needed. "These ones, right?" She asked and smiled as she heard the grunt in reply. She took the three wires and did what Hank asked for her to do. "Alright, that's done," she said. "Do you want me to do anything else while I'm down here?"

"I think that's it for now," Hank said as he turned off the flashlight. He offered a hand to Raven.

"Thank you," Raven said as she took it and stood up. The action brought her close to Hank as she looked up at him. She took the moment to stand up a bit on her tip toes and kiss his lips lovingly. She wasn't surprised when he kissed her back. "So," she said quietly after they broke the kiss to breathe. "Do you really have to do anything else today?"

"It can wait," Hank said quietly. "if - if you want to."

""I wouldn't ask if it wasn't something I wanted to do," Raven said as she looked up at him. "I mean what I've said, Hank. You are beautiful. I love you this way. You're more relaxed, even if you don't realize it, because you unconsciously let down your guard. You let me see more of you than you ever did before - well, before what you did. So, as much as you think it was a bad thing, I don't. I never will. I do think that you have to stop trying to find a cure and accept yourself as who you are. Otherwise, you're never going to have inner peace."

"You've been spending too much time around the Professor and Magneto," Hank said quietly. "You really think that?"

"Yes," Raven said with a smile. 

"Alright," Hank said. He grumbled as he heard the door opened and looked at who came in.

"Sorry," Erik said. "I need her."

"What for?" Raven asked as she didn't move away from being close to Hank. She stopped him from moving away before laying her head on Hank's chest to listen to Erik.

"To calm your brother down," Erik said. "He might start throwing books around again."

"He's gone from depressed to angry?" Hank asked.

"...He's throwing things?" Raven asked.

"Not physically throwing," Erik said. "With his mind."

"What?" Raven asked.

"It's not surprising he has a new power," Hank said. "He's using less of his body so more of his telepathic power opened up. But, since he was so powerful in that to begin with, it went from telepathic to telekinesis. I don't think there's anything to be worried about."

"Unless you have to dodge his aim," Erik said.

Raven thought for a moment before moving her head to look up at Hank. "Could he use this new power to walk again?"

"After a long bit of training...maybe," Hank said. "I only know a bit about telekinesis. But it sounds like something he could do."

"Or make himself float in the air," Erik said as he thought about it. 

"First, I'll go talk to him. Secondly...we'll see if he even wants to use it," Raven said. "Just because he can use telekinesis doesn't mean that he has to if he doesn't want to."

"Just means we can't get him angry," Hank said. "Sounds reasonable."

"Okay - I'll be back later," Raven said as she kissed Hank's lips lovingly. "Wait for me?"

"Yes," Hank said with a grin. "I'll make sure that everything's working alright here."

"Then I'll look for you here first," Raven said as she let go and went over to Erik. She took Erik's hand and pulled him out of the room with her. "He's working on Cerebro 2."

"Really? That's good," Erik said. 

"Did you take him breakfast?" Raven asked.

"Yes," Erik said. "I got him to take a bath."

"So you've done the hard parts of the morning," Raven said with a smile on her face before she looked up at Erik's face. She saw the worry on his face and hugged him. "What's wrong?"

"He's angry at me," Erik whispered as he hugged her back. "He figured out what happened to Moira. Which then led to...well, what he did."

"I'll talk to him," Raven said. "You know he won't stay mad for long."

"Right," Erik said quietly.

"Erik," Raven said as she looked up at him. "He won't. You might have to actually say that you're sorry though."

"I don't know if I can," Erik said. "I'm not sorry she's dead. I'm not sorry I killed her."

"Because she hurt Charles or because you knew she was taking him away from you?" Raven asked quietly.

"...are you sure you're not also telepathic?" Erik asked.

Raven laughed at that. "Yes," she said. "Charles taught me how to body read. So he can tell some things without having to use his powers."

"Oh," Erik said. "And it was both."

"Okay," Raven said as she kissed his cheek. "I'll go talk to him."

"Good," Erik said. "You and Beast are cute together. Beauty and the Beast like."

Raven wapped his arm for that before turning and going to Charles' room. She knocked on the door to announce herself before going in. "Charles?" She asked as she came in.

Charles was levitating one of the books, dropping it as his concentration went away. "What - oh, Raven," he said.

"You have made a right mess of your room," Raven said as she quickly went to pick up some of the things. "And we'll get the lower half of you dressed. Not in pajamas."

"I don't want to go out of the room," Charles said. "And don't say I'm being a child. Erik already went down that route."

"Yes - he came to get me to talk to you," Raven said. She stopped the cleaning for a moment. "I want you to come out of the room so you can see what Beast is up to."

"What is it?" Charles asked.

"I'm not telling you," Raven said. "You have to come see it," she said as she picked up the rest of the mess. She then went over to him and looked down at him. "Do you want help getting dressed?"

Charles nodded a yes. "Will you let me pick out the clothes?"

"Yes," Raven said. "Mostly because I don't know where you put things. And you're not unable to do that. If you were, I might go completely mad."

Charles smiled at that as he picked out a simple shirt with an undershirt and pants. "I can do the shirt myself," he said as he started to do so. 

"Good," Raven said as she moved to go look through the bathroom for a comb. She returned with it and a mirror. "Tell me when you're ready," she said.

"Ready," Charles said as he let Raven help him put on his pants. "You're stronger than I realized."

"I like weight training," Raven said with a smile as she helped him back in the chair. "Socks and shoes."

"Shoes are...I'm not sure where they ended up," Charles said as he got out a pair of socks.

"Here's one..." Raven said and smiled as she saw the other one. She put on the socks and shoes before sitting on the bed. She offered the comb to him and held the mirror so he could brush his own hair. "Much better. A lot better, really."

Charles smiled at hearing that. "So - let's go hear what Hank has done then."

"Good!" Raven said as she stood up to go to the back of the chair to wheel it. She smiled as Charles took her hand and kissed it. It was easy to get Charles out of his room and towards the staircase to go down to the lab. "Give me a moment," she said as she disappeared out of sight.

"Okay," Charles said and leaned back in the chair. He closed his eyes for a moment before smiling. "Hello, Emma."

"It is good to see that you're out and about," Emma said as she came over to him. "No pain, I hope."

"Just mental," Charles said. "I'm surprised that you're still here."

"Where else would we go?" Emma asked. "And I wanted to make sure that you stayed out."

Charles nodded a yes. "When did you realize that you had more powers than just telepathy?"

Emma thought about that. "When I was in a car crash," she said quietly. "It killed my parents but the diamond armor protected me. I then ran and Shaw found me. Turned out that I was calling for him."

"So traumatic events bring out new powers in telepaths," Charles said as he thought on that. "Thank you, Emma."

"Did you gain a new power, Charles?" Emma asked.

Charles smiled and focused on a flower in the vase. He smiled as he was able to pick up the flower and bring it over. He had to devote all of his concentration to it before it fell into his lap. He then offered it to her. "Yes."

"Marvelous," Emma said with a smile. She smelled the rose before looking to the stairway. "We should talk more - this evening?"

"I look forward to it," Charles said with a smile as he watched Emma walk away.

"...you're insane," Raven said as she saw Emma walking away and Charles watching her.

"What?" Charles asked innocently.

"Professor, she's right," Hank said as he came over to the chair. "But ready?"

"Ready for what?" Charles asked and gripped the arm rests of his chair as Raven and Hank got him down the stairs. "A little warning next time."

"You got Professor," Hank said with a grin as Raven took up her place to wheel Charles towards the lab.

"So, Hank, what are you working on?" Charles asked as they went into the lab. He looked over what was there and then at Hank. "You're remaking Cerebro."

"I'm calling it Cerebro 2," Hank said. "I'm going to use the satellite dish that's on the grounds for the signal."

"That's a wonderful idea," Charles said. "Raven knows where all the wires are."

"Thanks, Charles, but I already volunteered myself to help," Raven said with a chuckle.

"Sorry," Charles said as he moved his hands to the wheels and went over to the console. "Are you making any upgrades?"

"No," Hank replied. "I think it was perfect as it was. Unless you have any ideas, Professor?"

"No," Charles said. "I think that it was perfect as it was, Hank."

Hank smiled. "Thank you, Professor."

"And, if the two of you don't mind, I'm going to the gardens since I'm on the main floor," Charles said. 

"Yell when you need us," Raven said.

"I will," Charles said as he turned and slowly made his way through the house. He used a bit of his new power to make himself go faster but was glad when he was outside. He took a deep breath of the outside air, closing his eyes, and just letting himself relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anybody knows how to delete a single chapter, that would be great as I'd like to get rid of the author's note. :) Thank you!


End file.
